What are the differences between the different armor types? Do the heavier ones encumber you and make you slower,etc?

Resistance to physical damages, magical damages, and encumberment are all factors indeed. Plus, armors can be crafted in different ways to be more or less fitting to different temperatures, which feeds into the whole travelling concept

Resistance to physical damages, magical damages, and encumberment are all factors indeed. Plus, armors can be crafted in different ways to be more or less fitting to different temperatures, which feeds into the whole travelling concept

a - ma - zing!
of course if it won't end in one-armor-to-rule-them-all

I appreciate the need for a single character who intends to travel to require more than one set of armor. It also opens up the potential for more economic impact of crafters and travelling resource merchants.